Such a frustrating disappointment

Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

Born Rich was made in 2003, long before the fascination of rich people and dialogue on income inequality even began. This film is sure to bring up political controversy, but I don't even view it in a political sense: rather a human one. In the wide cast of wealthy heirs (of beautiful girls and awkward looking guys from New York City) interviewed, you get a different spectrum. All of them were spoiled rotten but some of them are respectful and others are arrogant and disdainful. Luke "I can buy your family" Weil is the obvious villain.It turns out that most of them didn't even know they were rich until they turned 18, as money was a subject their parents were reluctant to talk about. Does money buy happiness? I guess you'll find out. But like Ivanka Trump said, wealthy people are still people and they - while having an easier life - feel pain just like everyone else. Jamie's directing skills in his debut aren't anything special and it sometimes looks like a homemade film. But the content itself is good and that's what matters.

I liked this a lot, and I was prepared not to,Sure, he had unusual access to heirs and heiresses because he is one himself, but why the heck not? Use whatcha got. Grow where you're planted.Sue me, but I love hearing rich folks tell their stories. I thought the film was well put together. Not just the interviews, which were insightful, but the post work with old photos of the founding fathers and a sensible timeline. I like the "when did you first realize you were rich" segment, that progressed to issues like marriage and prenups.The whole film was well produced and edited, well photographed and very interesting. We ended up discussing it a lot afterward. My favorite takeaway, the director's father, "why would you work if you didn't have to?"One of us said, "I think they were trying to say it was hard not having something to strive for." But my husband and I heard something different, that they were grateful for having their life taken care of, the basics of survival at any rate, and were dealing with other issues like loneliness, which hadn't occurred to me, that this is really a small club.I'm fascinated by the fact that Jamie's father is an artist and I'm trying to find his art. A scene featured a painting over the fireplace that might have been his, but the studio scene made it clear that the father did not want his art on this film. I liked the painting I saw, and it made me curious about his paintings. If anyone knows where I can see his art, please email osm5@fastmail.fm thanks.

This was a subject that sounded so intriguing at first, but would have been better had a 'professional' come in from the outside and filmed a documentary, not Jamie Johnson who made what looks like a first year film students piece of work. His voice is torture to listen to and of course being the maker he has to narrate it...There was no one I found interesting in the slightest bit here because it felt like the heirs were in control telling the story. Again, someone from the outside should have come in to really get a sense of what effects being born rich has on them. Waste of time, this documentary. A real piece of crap.

Just saw this film on DVD - several years after its release. Congratuations to Jamie Johnson for making the film and thank you to all the people who took part in it.My take on this film is a bit different than other reviewers. What I saw was a group of young people seeking to find their way in the world - just like everyone else. Of course some of them said less mature things - because that is what young adults do. If you took a group of young people from a different socio-economic background or let's say a typical college campus, you would still hear a range of issues about money, thoughts, obsessions, indulgences, etc., and certainly not all would be wise and mature. People are often still finding and defining themselves when they are so young. Obviously money isn't a magic bullet to make life easy, sleep well, or solve all of one's problems - but it's fascinating that money DOES enable hiring lawyers to sue your young friend rather than working through underlying issues.My final reflection on this film is that - if you live in the US - to realize that we are ALL like these kids. Just after seeing this movie, I happened to read a national geographic magazine describing insane poverty and desperation in a developing country ravaged by all sorts of problems. If you live in a western industrialized country, we are all so very wealthy compared to a lot of other people in the world in terms of how our income is many multiples of average salaries in other places. Should I splurge and buy a $3 coffee today? That is a week's salary in some countries. So, if you felt these kids are a bit sheltered from the reality that others may face, perhaps think again about the "norms" that we take for granted in our life. Thanks to Born Rich for addressing the tough, fascinating issue of money.